Random Bits of Phoenix 2023

Some stuff that didn't make its own post from the Phoenix trip...

I went to Huss Brewing Company's restaurant which is basically part of the Phoenix convention center. I had a Bavarian Hefeweizen which was delightfully refreshing in the heat. I also had a Papago Blueberry Wheat. Papago is a huge park in Phoenix, featuring a golf course, a botanical garden (with desert plants, of course), and the Phoenix Zoo. Oh yeah, and I ate some food too. The Arizona Horseshoe Fries are a "mid-western" version of Quebecois poutine. It was a plate of french fries with a cream cheese sauce, green chile pork, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and some other stuff. It was delicious and very filling. I am not sure if it was the cook or the owner who was from the American Midwest, but one of them is responsible for this "appetizer."

Me and my hefe!

Arizona Horseshoe Fries

Blueberry Wheat in progress

This is also an entrance to the convention center

Walking around, I saw some interesting-looking buildings. The Maricopa County Courthouse looks like it dates back to pre-statehood days.

The county courthouse

The Evans House was built by Dr. John Evans in 1893. The downstairs was the home, the upstairs (reached by a staircase) was the office. The onion dome over the front door is striking.

Evans House

Heritage Square has several historic buildings brought together in one place. When I visited, only the ones that have been converted to restaurants were open, so I did not do much touring. The main attraction is the attractive Rosson House which is just a museum and only open on weekends for tours. It's described as a Queen Anne Victorian House and looks delightful from the outside.

Rosson House

The Mognett-Burgess Carriage House is the museum's gift shop, though that was not open either. Built in 1881 to store both the carriage and the horses, it was moved from the Mognett Ranch to Heritage Square in the 1970s.

Mognett-Burgess Carriage House

The Teeter Carriage House (built in 1899 with the same purpose as above--to house the horses and carriage) is now a boutique coffee house. Since it was a hot day, I bought an iced chai which was delicious.

Teeter Carriage House

In 1928, the Baird Machine Shop was built as a mother-and-son business by Kathryn Baird. It's now an award-winning pizzeria.

Baird Machine Shop

Not far away is Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. They had no home games while we were there, so we did not see inside the stadium.

Chase Field

One completely random find was this pair of statues. Those horses are made out of horseshoes!

Horse-shoe horses

I had another lunch with a flight of beers. From left to right below are Pariah Bubbles Are My Side Hustle wheat beer, Historic Piehole Porter, Great Divide Salted Caramel, and Four Peaks Kilt Lifter. They were all good but my favorite was the Salted Caramel which was rich and creamy, more like a beer to drink on its own than a meal matcher. It made a nice dessert after my Hawaiian pizza. The restaurant was Boulders on Southern. 

Flight of beers!

Our last meal in Phoenix was Mac and Cheese from a restaurant near our hotel. We both got big bowls. Mine had sausage, red peppers, and onion. It was delicious.

Yummy!